Over the Moat: Love Among the Ruins of Imperial Vietnam

by James Sullivan

Book Overview

"Cultures clash, but love conquers, with some fascinating twists and plenty of intimate details." --Kirkus Reviews

James Sullivan's Over the Moat details his travels in Vietnam to bicycle from Saigon to Hanoi. He has just finished graduate school and has an assignment to write a magazine story about a country that is still subject to a U.S. trade embargo. But in Hue, the old imperial capital of Vietnam, the planned three-month...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312422377
• ISBN13: 9780312422370
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Picador USA
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A Travelogue of the Heart

I had a hard time finishing this book. No, not in the usual sense where thickness of the prose or my own ennui cause a book to be put down not to be picked up again. I put off finishing this book because I did not want the experience of reading it to end. Jim Sullivan combines a keen eye both for life in Vietnam's city of Hue and his own awakening to the love he has found with Thuy with his marvelous ability to write a story. The result is "Over the Moat," a travelogue not only in the conventional sense but also of human hearts haltingly discovering an affinity for each other. "Your work is both good and original," Mark Twain supposedly once told an aspiring author. "Unfortunately the part which is good is not original and the part which is original is not good." Jim Sullivan has written a good and original book. While it reads like skillful fiction, remarkably, it is not. The book had for me special meaning insofar as I spring from the same soil as the author and, as it happens, am finding his book striking close to home in several respects. And while that certainly makes the book resonate all the more for me, it is no prequisite for any reader who enjoys an engaging story written in language which manages to be both nuanced and unpretentious all the while flavored with some gentle humor. Sa'ch tuye^.t vo*`i or "wonderful book" as one might say in Vietnam.

A Story of Love Across Cultures, Continents

Over the Moat is an extraordinary story. To call it a "love story" -- which it certainly is -- only tells half the tale. While the reader is soon enmeshed in the lives of Jim and Thuy, there are so many more intricate layers to the story. Throughout the book we are introduced to the people and culture of Vietnam, seen first through Jim's eyes as the outsider and then with his understanding as he is gradually accepted. Over the Moat is rich with descriptions and runs deep with emotion. A treasure to read.

What a terrific book

This book was wonderful on so many different levels. First of all the story of Sullivan traveling to Vietnam and falling in love is rendered with such honesty and intelligence. I felt as though I was with him for this long adventure, and when things begin to become complicated, as the obstacles between the two grow, I found myself rooting out loud for everything to work out. It's what has been missing from all the "travel memoirs" - the sense that real living person with a mind and heart is behind the writing - Bravo to Sullivan.

Finally, Not a Superficial Travel Book

I bought this book because of its setting, Vietnam. Sullivan really captures what its like to live in a foreign country, rather than just a holiday visitor. Compared to, say,(Paul) Theroux or (Bill) Bryson who give the reader "literary snapshots" of a country, though wittingly, with Sullivan you'll get the whole "movie", a deeper understanding of real-life drama of foreign residents living in Asia. He keenly describes the challenges (malaria, visa hassles), misunderstandings (culture gaps,language) and treatment of foreigners (both favorable and rediculous) as he courts a Vietnamese woman for more than one year while camped out in an $8/nite bug infested hotel. There are a number of surprises along the way, some funny, others that would test the patience of a saint. Clevery crafted passages and the story unfold like a novel rather than a true-account which it is. (Sorry to end with a preposition.)

Wonderfully written & a true story for the ages

Mr. Sullivan's tale of finding love in post-war Vietnam is amazingly descriptive. My imagination got a workout and his writing style is extremely conducive to telling such a story. I highly recommend this book!